The Harbour Authority of Rotterdam is equipped of a floating laboratory for the study of independent navigation

The authority is convinced that this type of navigation will contribute to increase safety of the ports

"The issue is not if, but when independent navigation will be introduced". The Harbour Authority of Rotterdam is so sure that this technological innovation will be applied to the marine transport that have decided to convert a motor patrol vessel in an equipped floating laboratory of television cameras, sensors and equipment of measurement in order to obtain given on the meteorological and marine conditions and on the activity and the propulsion of the boat with the objective to examine the opportunities offered from independent navigation in harbour within.

The Dutch harbour authority is convinced in fact not only that independent navigation will become a truth of the marine transport, but that this type of navigation to remote control and without or with minimal crew on board of the ships will contribute to increase safety of the ports: "the Port of Rotterdam Authority - the operating director of the Harbour Authority has confirmed, Ronald Paul - is incessantly examining the modalities in order to return our still surer, efficient and better port. Collaborating with others, putting also on hand our data, we propose ourselves to promote the development of new technologies and to study of the impact on the port and harbour infrastructures. We preview that the introduction of independent navigation will ulteriorly increase to safety and accessibility of the port of Rotterdam and, moreover, will constitute an effective aid for the commanders of the ships and the controllers of the marine traffic. This is the reason for which the Harbour Authority of Rotterdam it intends to test this application, that already it is used for many years in the field of aviation and from others".

Besides independent navigation, the floating laboratory will be used also in order to experience the use of the equipment for other applications, as for example it I use of the television cameras for the inspection of the works building of the docks or for the survey of objects in water. Moreover the combination of sensors in water with sensors to earth will be studied in order to develop an intelligent infrastructural net.

The Harbour Authority has also undersigned an agreement with the Captain start-up TO I, created in order to study the applications of independent navigation and in order to form the first commanders of "digital" ships, with the scope to collaborate to the development of software on the base of the data obtained from the floating laboratory. "In this way - it has explained Vincent Wegener, cofondatore and managing director of the start-up - we will be able to teach to the computers to navigate in the port independently and will be able to form the first artificial commanders".